Free Republic

The Chinese regime has maintained that there have been no new domestic infections of the CCP virus in the entire country since March 18.Local authorities say that the epidemic has leveled off, as they ease travel restrictions and allow people to return to work.But the situation in the ground zero of ChinaÂ’s epidemic, the city of Wuhan, is much worse than what has been officially reported, according to a series of internal government documents obtained by The Epoch Times.The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist...

Anne-Marie Slaughter, who served as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Director of Policy Planning during part of the Obama administration, has published a column in the New York Times where she notes some effects of the coronavirus that she apparently believes are positive. “We are also suddenly living in a world that the United States government long insisted was impossible--one of drastically reduced plane and car emissions,” she writes. “That is terrible for the airlines but good for the planet. It may be good for us, too,” she said. “And now that we're all at home, what to do with...

A BIG episode today on Common Sense! Stephen Moore, Author of Trumponomics, joins us to discuss the attack on our economy by an external force! Then, my former Chief of Staff during 9/11, Tony Carbonetti, joins us later in the show to discuss the similarities and differences.

Aimed at increasing the availability of ventilators and accessories, the FDA has temporarily relaxed its standardsenabling medical device makers to more easily make changes to existing products (e.g. changing suppliers or materials without the normal sign-off process). This includes the use of non-medical device manufacturers which will add substantial capacity.Hospitals and healthcare professionals may use ventilators normally intended for other environments (e.g., masks used when transporting patients in an ambulance). Healthcare personnel will also be able to use ventilators beyond their indicated shelf lives.The FDA is encouraging all ventilator makers, domestic or foreign, to apply for emergency use authorization to allow...

Gov. John Bel Edwards held a media briefing about Louisiana’s response to COVID-19 and issued a ‘Stay at Home’ order effective Monday March 23, 2020 at 5:00p.m until April 12, 2020. This news came after the governor announced Louisiana has the fastest growth rate of Coronavirus in the world. “Every single person in Louisiana has a role to play and they must play their role” says Gov. Edwards. As of 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 22, there were 837 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Louisiana, with 20 deaths. 2 weeks ago, Louisiana had no known cases and as of last...

Congressional leaders are likely to put a very ugly deal in front of the American people, and if it passes, America may be unrecognizable after this pandemic. But there is a way to stop it, if people on the populist left and people on the populist right work together. Here’s the situation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and the Trump administration are negotiating a bailout package to address the coronavirus crisis. There’s been a lot of chatter about the need to support workers as the economy goes into a freeze.... But in the United States,...

[Editor's note: Lack of FDA approval does not prohibit off-label use of drugs for other threapeutic purposes, but would inhibit widespred use.] You are being lied to about the drugs that heal COVID19. America's FDA, and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, are dragging their feet on approving a drug that provides very strong positive effect on COVID19. Fauci, speaking from the White House, said on the matter of approving Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin:

The musical master turns 90 on Sunday. To understand the influence Stephen Sondheim has had on the musical theater, imagine in the rock world that one artist had roughly the impact of Bob Dylan plus the Beatles. The undisputed master of his medium is turning 90 (March 22), and his influence remains as dominant as ever, even as two major New York productions of his work sit frozen and anxious, awaiting the all-clear signal. Rock, once a province of brainless lyrics and cotton-candy musical schemes, entered maturity with first the protest anthems and apocalyptic prophecies of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan...

A 12-year-old girl is “fighting for her life” at an Atlanta hospital after testing positive for coronavirus, according to a report. Justin Anthony said his cousin Emma was placed on a ventilator Saturday after being confirmed positive the day before for the virus, CNN reported. She initially was diagnosed with pneumonia on March 15, only to receive test results days later for the virus, according to the report. Anthony said his young cousin is “fighting for her life” despite having no pre-existing conditions that would put her at higher risk for the infectious disease, the outlet reported. he 12-year-old has...

The great Wallace Stegner once called America’s national parks “the best idea we ever had,” and we couldn’t agree more. Equal parts meditative and mind-blowing, these magnificent wildlands somehow make us feel our most humbly—and gratefully—human. They’re our gift to ourselves and our truest escape, whether for a solitary hike or an eight-person family vacation. And though, for now, we may not be able to visit them in person, we can remember past trips and look forward to future visits with these breathtaking virtual tours, some led by rangers—others self-guided. So set aside your puzzle-making and your Netflix queue and...

Gov. Phil Murphy said he’s “really damned unhappy” to hear stories he’s hearing about New Jersey residents not abiding by his stay-at-home order to combat the coronavirus outbreak and warned Sunday to expected a law enforcement crackdown. “There’s too many people not paying attention to this. We’ve about had it. We’re not happy," Murphy said during a conference call to update the state on the latest cases. “We banned any social gatherings in the state. We want people to stay home,” he said. "We want all of these steps to be enforced aggressively.” Enforcement could include arrests, he said. Under...

ABC link, excerpted.PHASE 1 Beginning at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, March 23, 2020, all hotels, motels, resorts, inns, Air- BnB, Homeway, VRBO, guest houses, campgrounds, RV Parks, Vacation Cabin rentals and any other short-term rentals in Graham County will be closed, EXCEPT for persons needing accommodation with a legitimate work-related stay. Business owners, contractors and emergency service workers who expect to have employees needing to make reservations for a stay in Graham County will need to provide a work related identification badge from their employer along with a letter from the employer stating the purpose of the work to be...

Just a vanity. The weather where I live is nice. Cool but sunny. I took the opportunity to put out my flag (its been in mothballs over the winter). Just a statement that, hey, we are Americans. We will overcome this contagion...together. I noticed others started flying theirs too. Just might not be a bad idea during these times to affirm your love for this country. I suspect many of you are way ahead of me, but let this be contagious too.

Kitten cuteness break from Youtube. 6 minutes

President Trump Participates in a Teleconference with Governors on Coronavirus Response This is a video of a conference call between all the US governors and the President and Vice President about the response to the coronavirus. It is a long video, but it is worth a view, because you get to notice all the things the press won't tell you, such as: - All the governors are thanking the President and Vice President for their coordination and assistance. - President Trump and Vice President Pence are on top of the situation completely.

Three cheers for President Trump’s success in forcing a federal bureaucracy that normally moves at the speed of a glacier to begin working at “Trump Speed.” From the day he announced he was running, Trump’s critics have assailed him with all manner of claims that he was unfit to be President. Their real reason for inventing so many lies was that he wasn’t like them because he was a CEO instead of a bureaucrat. He had built a business empire and become wealthy by setting objectives, giving orders to his trusted staff, and holding people accountable for delivering results in...

On Wednesday, March 18, 2020, New Zealand decriminalized abortion. “It’s been a long time coming,” said Margaret Sparrow, a doctor who dedicated her life to championing for looser abortion laws. Until the passage of this bill on Wednesday, the procedure was still subject to regulations under the Crimes Act, which requires women to demonstrate to a doctor that their pregnancy poses a danger to their physical or mental health before going through an abortion...

NY Governor Cuomo: ‘This is Not a Short Term Situation … 4 Months, 6 Months, 9 Months  Here’s New York Gov. Cuomo saying the coronavirus lockdown could last as long as 9 months and that up to 80% of the population will get the virus https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1241766068332515329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1241766068332515329&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.towleroad.com%2F2020%2F03%2Fny-governor-cuomo%2F  

Carlton and United Breweries, whose major brewery is in Abbotsford, Melbourne, wants the Victorian state government to include breweries in the “essential services” that remain open as the country experienced a run on liquor stores Sunday as buyers panicked and stormed outlets to buy as much alcohol as they could. “Carlton & United Breweries, Australia’s largest brewer, is greatly concerned about no beer being available in Australia for at least three months if beer is not given exempt status, and what this would mean for tens of thousands of jobs,” a spokesman told the Australian newspaper.

Like most people, I had initial deep concerns regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, I think some perspective and proportion are overdue. Let's start with something provocative: aside from high-risk populations, does the entire American population really need to "social distance" itself into isolation and depression? Do large numbers of Americans really need to be forced into underemployment and unemployment? Do large numbers of businesses really need to shut their doors and face bankruptcy? Unrecoverability? For people over 65 or with underlying health issues, such as emphysema, asthma, congestive heart issues, cancer, and other identified vulnerabilities, social distancing and even...